Big Ten basketball opened the 2026-27 season with the league doing plenty of the heavy lifting on a night full of high-major matchups. The conference put three top-25 opponents from other leagues on the schedule, and while two Big Ten teams came up short, there was also a top-5 win in the mix. Just as important, nobody took a damaging loss, which made for a clean start overall.
The biggest statement came from UCLA, which stayed in control long enough to beat No. 5 Arizona, 84-75.
The Bruins leaned on their backcourt to get it done, with Trent Perry and Jaylen Petty combining for 34 points and 12 assists. Perry led the way with 21 points, and UCLA got a balanced scoring night behind him as seven players finished with at least seven points.
That came even with freshman forward Nikola Kusturica struggling to find his shot, finishing 3-for-11 from the field. Of all the teams in the league on opening night, UCLA walked away with the clearest signature win.
Purdue also had reason to feel encouraged despite a loss, hanging around for 40 minutes before falling 78-72 to No. 15 Gonzaga.
The Boilermakers looked far more competitive than an unranked team usually does in that spot, and Daniel Jacobsen was the reason they stayed in the fight. He turned in a career-high 22 points and added seven rebounds while shooting 9-for-11 from the floor.
Purdue’s guard play could have been better, and that likely would have changed the outcome, but Jacobsen’s showing against Gonzaga’s frontcourt stood out as the kind of performance that could mean something bigger for both him and the Boilermakers.
Ohio State’s opener ended in a 94-83 loss to No. 25 BYU, and the Buckeyes’ defense had no answer in the second half, when they allowed 60 points.
Even so, Amare Bynum gave them a real offensive lift with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting. After a strong preseason, he looks like he’s becoming the centerpiece of Ohio State’s frontcourt.
The defense needs work, no question, but the Buckeyes may not have an offense problem if Bynum keeps producing like this.
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Maryland Faces A Brutal Big Ten Test As Pressure Builds Fast
Maryland comes into this matchup carrying a 13-game Big Ten losing streak, and the timing hardly gets any kinder with Purdue on the schedule. The Boilermakers have been trying to steady themselves after a rough stretch of their own, and this game puts two programs in different kinds of pressure cookers on the same field, each looking for signs that the worst part of the slide is finally behind them.
For Maryland, the backdrop is even more unsettled with interim coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim guiding the program after Mike Locksleys departure. Purdue, meanwhile, is trying to keep building under Barry Odom after recently snapping its own long conference skid, and both staffs have been talking about progress without pretending the work is finished. It leaves this as more than just another Big Ten game, because for both sides the next step matters almost as much as the result. [Read more 🡒]
Purdues Home Opener Brings A Sneaky Challenge For The Boilermakers
Purdues first night back at home comes with a little more intrigue than a typical buy game. After opening the season on the road against Gonzaga, the Boilermakers now welcome Valparaiso, a program under Roger Powell Jr. that has quietly taken steps forward over the past three years and brings back enough continuity to be more than a simple tune-up opponent.
The Beacons have leaned into a style that can make life uncomfortable for bigger, more talented teams, with an emphasis on getting downhill, drawing fouls and taking care of the ball. For Purdue, that means the home opener is less about easing into the schedule and more about handling a team that can force a different kind of game if the Boilermakers are not sharp from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Faces A Brutal Homecoming Test It Cant Afford To Fail
Homecoming arrives at a tricky moment for Purdue, which is trying to stop a two-game skid and steady itself before the schedule gets any less forgiving. Maryland comes to West Lafayette under interim coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim and is still searching for its first Big Ten win, but that does not make this feel like a soft landing for the Boilermakers. For Purdue, the bigger issue is whether it can clean up the mistakes that have piled up on both sides of the ball and give itself a chance to play with more control at home.
Aidan Brownes recent play has become part of the concern, and Purdues defense has not offered much margin for error in the last few games. That combination has made this a far more delicate spot than a typical Homecoming matchup, especially for a team trying to avoid letting a winnable opportunity slip away. The Boilermakers do not need a perfect performance, but they do need something closer to the version of themselves that can handle pressure rather than add to it. [Read more 🡒]